Today was Verizon’s big announcement. We already knew what to expect, but the Verizon iPhone does have a few new features. Nothing major, but it’s worth reading up on it if you are interested in picking up an iPhone from Verizon. There are a lot of things you should know if you are considering the switch.

The conference was very short. It ran for about 20 minutes and was followed by a little Q&A. We gathered all the info presented at the conference, did additional research and read reader questions. All of that has been put together and summarized into question and answer form below.

Hit the jump to read up:

1) When does the Verizon iPhone become available?

February 10th, 2011.

2) Okay, can I preorder it?

Verizon iPhone preorders begin February 3rd for existing customers. The wording wasn’t exactly clear, but from the sounds of it, everyone else will have to wait until the release date (Feb. 10) to pick it up. Check Verizon and Apple to sign up for an email notification when it becomes available.

3) Where will the Verizon iPhone be sold?

According to Dan Dee of Verizon, “on February 10th, everyone will be able to order online, in stores or in Apple Stores.

4) How about pricing?

Pricing will remain the same for Verizon, that is $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model. With a standard, 2-year contract.

5) What’s the cost of the iPhone without the 2-year agreement?

One reader, (Thanks, Balistyx!) pointed to the Verizon FAQs: “When purchasing iPhone at the 2 year promotional price a new agreement is required. However, you will also have the option to purchase iPhone at full retail price, which will not require you to sign a long-term agreement.” That means $599 for the 16GB and $699 for the 32GB.

6) And the plans?

No pricing for the Verizon iPhone plans. We can only guess that it will be much like Verizon’s current plans.

7) Will the iPhone 4 be getting LTE?

No confirmation on that. However, Tim Cook of Apple did say that the iPhone 4 is not LTE because it would have compromised battery life, and that’s not something they were willing to do.

8) No unlimited data plan?

They didn’t announce anything of the sort, but here is a chart with their current data plans:

Link (keep in mind that “Unlimited” doesn’t always mean unlimited. AT&T used to cap at 2GB before making an official announcement)

9) Will Verizon be able to handle the extra data loads?

They say they are ready, but there’s no way to tell for sure. They can say what they want right now, but let’s wait until we see a few million data-hungry iPhone users on their network.

10) How About a Contract?

That’s going to be your standard 2-year agreement.

In the photo above, you can see that the little metal strips that make up the CDMA-compatible antenna are symmetrical on this handset.

11) Is anything changed?

Nothing major that we can see. The antenna was made CDMA-compatible (no LTE, sorry), so it has a slight tweak. It looks a bit like those leaked videos that Apple ordered to be pulled down. One wouldn’t notice it at first glance, but the little gaps in the wrap-around antenna are different.

12) What Version of iOS does the Verizon iPhone come with?

The demo units at the Verizon event are loaded with iOS 4.2.5

13) Does the Verizon iPhone come with any junk pre-installed?

No bloatware or extra junk on this one. It’s iOS, pure and simple.

14) Will we be able to be on the phone and browse the internet like on AT&T?

Nope. No voice call and internet at the same time on the Verizon iPhone. That’s CDMA for you.

15) How about when the iPhone 5 (Or maybe the iPhone 4G? Heck, whatever they decide to call the next iPhone.) is announced this summer, will Verizon get that too?

A variation of that question was asked at the special event. Someone asked about the yearly iPhone product refresh and how that would work with Verizon. They declined to comment. Unfortunately, we probably won’t know until that time comes.

16) Any additional cool features?

The Verizon iPhone can be used as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices. It’s available on an App that’s pre-loaded onto the phone. Some sites ask whether this functionality will make it to current iPhone models in a future firmware update (as mentioned above, the Verizon iPhones that were demoed ran iOS 4.2.5.

17) What if I purchase now and the iPhone 5 is released in June?

The good thing about the iPhone is that it retains a lot of value. We would guess that you could get over $550 for sure. Remember, people are always willing to shell out a bit more if it means getting the handset without being tied to a contract.

18) How about the white iPhone?

There has been no mention. It was on Verizon’s site when we checked, but it may be removed. Besides, that would have given Verizon some MAJOR bragging rights that they would have been wise to go with.

19) Which is the better iPhone? AT&T or Verizon?

This will probably depend a lot on the reception in your area; however, we are also interested in seeing how things go for Verizon when the iPhone is in fullswing.

20) Is the Verizon-Apple deal an exclusive deal?

Apple’s Tim Cook says that its’ a multi-year non-exclusive deal. This means that the CDMA iPhone may reach other carriers. A Sprint iPhone? It’s possible, but will it happen?

That’s all for now

We will be reading around for more details throughout the day. We aren’t expecting anything major, but will keep you informed if anything develops. Stay tuned.

About 8bitjay

2 Comments

“AT&T used to cap at 2GB before making an official announcement”
This isn’t accurate.. there were rumors of a soft cap at 5gb, but not at 2gb. Others report having used way more than 5gb with no issues.
I frequently use more than 2gb with no issues.